1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable devices such as handheld palmtop computer systems or personal digital assistants. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for securely controlling the data exchange on handheld computers.
2. Related Art
As the components required to build a computer system have reduced in size, new categories of computer systems have emerged. One of the more recent categories of computer systems is the portable or handheld “palmtop” computer system, or personal digital assistant (PDA). A portable computer system such as a palmtop computer may include a hand held device and an interface device. The hand held portable device may be the actual portable computer device. The interface device may provide the docking mechanism to which the portable computer device ports and which then connects to the portable computer device and synchronizes it to other computers to allow the computers to communicate and exchange data. An example of such an interface device is a palmtop computer system cradle device. Due to the small size and portability of portable computers such as the palm top computers, they may be brought anywhere by anyone to port with another computer, such as a desk top personal computer, docked via a compatible interface such as a palmtop computer system cradle device then presently connected to the desktop computer, synchronized with the other computer via the interface device, and used to access data therefrom by data transfer.
A lack of security may result with the synchronization mechanism. This can result because anyone, not just the owner of certain data or a designated, authorized user of such data, may be able to access these data stored on a portable computer, or use a portable computer to access the data stored on another computer such as a desktop personal computer by synchronizing the portable computer to the desktop computer through a compatible portable computer system interface device, such as palmtop computer system cradle device then presently connected to the computer at the desktop station. Further, even authorized data users may access the data in an unauthorized manner using a portable computer. These are especially serious problems given the small size, portability, and concealability of portable computers, coupled with their significant data storage and communication capabilities.
For instance, the owner or authorized user may misplace a portable computer such as a palmtop device, or the portable computer may be misappropriated. If an unauthorized person inadvertently or wrongfully acquires a portable computer such as a palm top device belonging to someone else and containing data valuable to the owner and confidential in nature, the unauthorized person may attempt to access the data contained therein. The unauthorized person may attempt this by taking the inadvertently misplaced or wrongfully acquired palm top device to a desktop station to which he or she has access where a computer is connected to a compatible cradle device, docking the palm device to the cradle device, synchronizing the computers via the cradle device, and downloading the data stored on the palm device to the desktop computer.
In another instance, a person possessing a portable computer such as a palm top device of their own may attempt to access sensitive valuable data from a desktop computer then presently connected to a compatible cradle device without authority to do so by taking their own palmtop device to the unauthorized desktop computer, docking their palm device to the cradle device then there connected, synchronizing the computers, and downloading the unauthorized, sensitive data.
Another example could involve persons normally authorized to access sensitive valuable data in certain specific, limited manners, such as data transactions on specified desktop computers during normal business hours under supervision. In this instance, such persons may use their own concealed portable computers to access and copy such data after hours or when supervisory attention is diverted, for later unauthorized, unsupervised access or later transfer to other, unauthorized computers, elsewhere.
To the owner of computer stored information, data thus stored may be sensitive, confidential, valuable, and possibly irreplaceable. The unauthorized acquisition of such data by persons other than the owner or persons authorized by the owner, or use in unauthorized ways by persons who may under other circumstances be authorized can be damaging. Consequently, it is desirable to discourage synchronization of portable computers such as palmtop devices to other, unauthorized computers such as desktop or laptop computers, or other data transfer, storage, or communication systems, via compatible interfaces, such as palm top computer system cradle devices.
Further, portable computers such as palmtop devices may be considered valuable, easy to appropriate and conceal, and thus tempting items for theft. However, over and above any intrinsic value inherent in the portable computer itself, the data a particular portable computer may contain may be even more valuable, and hence a more tempting target for a thief aware of this content and its value. Thus, beyond preventing loss of the portable computers themselves, it is desirable to deter theft of palm devices to protect the data they contain. Consequently, the desirability of discouraging unauthorized synchronization of palmtop devices to compatible cradle devices extends to deterring theft of palmtop devices.
In the prior art, one method for protecting against unauthorized use of a portable computer system and against unauthorized access to data stored therein is to use a password access program to enable synchronization with another computer. However, passwords have proven inefficient, inconvenient, and ineffective in providing an acceptable level of protection against unauthorized access to and transfer of data. There are a number of reasons for this inherent insufficiency of password protection in this particular application.
One reason is that experience shows that passwords can be defeated by unauthorized users, especially by persons determined to gain unauthorized access to valuable, sensitive, password protected data. Also, passwords may be easily suppressed or bypassed by authorized users, often are, and correspondingly may not provide the protection they were designed to provide. It is also sometimes possible for knowledgeable unauthorized users to bypass or suppress passwords, rendering data totally unprotected. Persons aware of the nature and value of, and willing to attempt unauthorized access to particular data may be especially so capable. Thus, password protection may not provide a sufficient level of security for valuable, sensitive data.
Further, many users consider passwords to be vexing, cumbersome, and difficult to remember. Passwords are known to occasionally lock out even authorized users from data needed for legitimate applications. These annoyances sometimes lead even authorized users to bypass or suppress them. Thus, passwords have proven annoying and inconvenient, in addition to not providing adequate protection.